Alert — and concerned — “06880” reader Lynn Flint writes:
This is a very important issue. It merits deeper and more considerate thought than a quick vote at 1 in the morning.
The poor Saugatuck River has a huge dump from the YMCA now, above the dam by the Merritt Parkway.
That’s okay. because it sits and settles in the deep Lees Pond. There are residences below the dam, and Canal Park too.
Bucolic Lees Pond. (Photo/Doug Steinberg)
It may and probably should have city sewer. But our town sewer system is recycled wastewater which goes into the Saugatuck under the I-95 bridge, once treated.
We had problems with feces from Black Duck floating in the river.
Sewage needs to sit in septic tanks or sewage treatment plants to become safely organic. It needs to rest while the microbes in the waste die off.
COVID testing was done in waste removal systems, where microbes in the expelled urine and solid matter could be detected. We also know that drugs (prescribed and on the street) appear in wastewater, and affect living marine organisms.
If nearby Long Island Sound, which the Saugatuck empties into, is the oyster capital of the East — partly because it thrives on the nutrients of organic waste from our communities, and partly through the careful seafood farming management practiced by local fishermen — shouldn’t we be careful that that organic waste is not contagious or toxic?
Long Island Sound oyster boat. (Photo/Gene Borio)
Think about it: Where have all the bluefish gone? Why don’t those planks of winter birds come and float in the mouth of the Saugatuck until it gets warmer up north again for them?
What about the recently observed hundreds of porpoises beating their way up Long Island Sound on a mission looking for new habitats and food sources, as the water warms nicely for them?
As the water warms, doesn’t it become more susceptible to new plant growth and new species from the south? Is it good to add on top of all that more human waste, which may not be fully broken down yet because of its sheer quantity?
These are all things to think about — things that may yield a brilliant solution to the kinds of problems that are appearing all over Earth right now.
Why don’t we be the vanguard in the solution by bringing together all of our best minds and ideas — including our kids. Get Staples students to work on this problem.
Combined with AI, you’ll hve Einstein.
Lynn adds:
While we’re at it, let’s fix the delta of the Saugatuck. It’s all silted up now, challenging our channel which is not deep enough for big sailboats.
The mouth of Saugatuck River looks beautiful. But it’s silted up. (Photo/John Kantor)
We can guild a breakwater out of stone between the low mud tide flats and the channel near the straits, where Cedar Point and Compo Yacht Basin come into the river.
The mud flats will become dry land slowly, extremely fertile like the flower fields of Holland. That would make a fabulous community garden, on the lap of the Longshore Inn with its weddings and delicious patio dining restaurant.
Wouldn’t that be beautiful? It would be easier than dredging, and more effective. Water runs faster through a narrow passage. I think a breakwater like a dyke on just the Longshore side would probably do the trick.
There are many masons around who remember how to construct stone walls in water. It has to do with marine concrete, which has a special element that makes it stronger the longer it sits in salt water. The ancient Romans knew how to build port structures and bridges that involve salt water.
These structures become stronger over time. We marvel at them when we tour ancient ruins.
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